Automatically-changing sign



L. B'EEMAN. AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- IB. I916. 1,325,071 Patented Dec. 16,1919.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18 I9I6.

' Patented Dec.16,1919.

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L. B'EEMAN. AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING SIGN.

APPLICATlON FILED SEPT. 18. I916- Patented Dec. 16,1919.

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L. B'EEMA'N. AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l8. I916.

Patented Dec, 16,1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4 intervals timed with LYLE BEEMANT, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATICALLY-CHANGING SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 18, 1916. Serial No. 120,638. g

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYLE BEEMAN, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and resident of 'Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatically- Changing Signs, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accon'ipanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to pro vide an advertising sign in which the'reading matter is automatically changed at short intervals by a series of sign plates mamtained in circulation with a pause for each sign plate in its exposed position.

An object of the invention is to produce a sign mechanism of this character which will accommodate numerous sign plates to permit of a maximum number of sign changes while keeping the device of a minimum size.

Another object of the invention is to auvtomatically control electric lights on the sign device by the operating mechanism of the sign so that the lights will burn at certain the operation of the machine.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the automatically changing sign as herein claimed and, all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in, which like characters of reference indicate thesame parts in the different views:

Figure 1 is a front view of an automatically changing sign constructed'in accord- I of rising to take a sign plate from the upper storage chute;

F ig. 5 is a similar view showingthe parts in their changed positions upon the transferring means reaching its highest point of travel where it has receiv'eda sign plate from the upper storage chute and is about to descend with it to the display position;

F ig. G is a sectional plan view showing the'lower storage chute and the drive fo the elerating scre Fig. 7 isv a sectional elevation of the motor controlling rheostat, the hand operated light switch, and the automatic light switch; Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the sign plate lowering slide;

. Fig. 9 is a front view of the sign plate lowering mechanism; and, Y

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the guide plate. In these drawings '10 indicates a sheet metal casing having a glass front 11 and mounted on end pedestals 12 and having an electric motor 13 therebeneath. The speed of the motor is controlled by an adjustable rheostat 14 contained in a switch box 15 within the casing, and a belt 16 connects th motor pulley 17 with a pulley '18 which is fixed on a drive shaft 19 extending from one end of the casing to the other-where it is suitably mounted forrotation. forms 20 on the shaft 19 near its ends mesh with worm wheels 21 on the lower ends of inclined elevating shafts 22 so as, to rotate the same in opposite directions. The inclined shafts 22 have step bearings in lugs 23 projecting from the end plates of the casing and have recesses in their upper ends fitting on tubular studs of bearing brackets 24: also projecting from the end plates of the casing. The latter arrangement is to proof the shafts 22. A broad pitch screw thread is formed on the inclined elevating" shafts 22, preferably by soldering a coil spring 25' thereto, and this is a right hand Patented Dec.16, 1919. 1

thread with one elevating screw shaft and a left hand thread with the other.

As the mechanism at each end of the cas ing is identicalexcept for being right and left hand arrangement, it will be suffici'ent to explain that at one end of the easing, a sheet metal guide plate 26 is secured to the end plate of the casing and is so bent and shaped that the main portionthereof' forms an irregular fOt1l,SldeCl figure defining the-path of travel of the titlIllllODSOl supporting lugsv27 of the traveling sign plates 28. A downwardly and rearwardly inclined groove 29 depressed in the raised face portion of the guide plate 26 near its lower end forms a lower storage chute for .thesupporting lugs of the sign plates, while the flanged shouldered rear edge 30 of saidguide plate stands parallel with the inclined elevating screw 22 at such a distance therefrom as to just permit of the travel of the elevating lugs of the sign plates between them on the convolutions of the screw 25,the flange of such guide shoulder 30 forming an end abutting guide for said supporting lugs. This ascending guideway between the rear edge of the guide plate and the elevating screw terminates in a downwardly and forwardly inclined rabbet-like guide 31 in the upper part of the raised face of the guide plate 26 to constitute an upper storage chute for the sign plates. The front edge 'of the guide plate 26 is nearly vertical but is slightly forwardly inclined and forms a guide 32 for the supporting lugs of the guide plates in their downward travel from the upper stor age chute 31 to the display position at the front end of the lower storage chute 25), as will be later described.

A rock shaft 33 is suitably supported at its ends on the end plates of the casing and is given a rocking movement by the travel of the sign plates up the elevating shafts 22. For this purpose the rock shaft 33 has a sleeve 3d at each end carrying anoperating arm 35 which projects forwardly in the plane of travel of the supporting lugs 27 of the sign plates so as to be engaged thereby and swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. & to the aosition shown in 5 as said supporting lugs are lifted by the screw conveyors. The lower or engaging surface of the arm 35 is grooved near its outer end to act as a cam for increasing the swinging movement of the arm near the end of its travel and thus compensate for the reduction in the speed of its movement as it approaches a position parallel with the line of travel of the supporting lugs. as the supporting lug 27 leaves the end of the operating arin the latter drops by its own weight and the weight of other parts carried by shaft 33.

A stud 36 projecting from the end plate of the casing carries a. supporting plate 3'? on which. is pivotally mounted a hoolnlilre movable stop 37 having a pin 33 on its side working in ahorizontal slot of a slide e1 which has vertical slots fitting on the stud 36 and the shaft 33 respectively and provided with laterally bent rack teeth 4.1 on its rear edge meshing with gear teeth 42 which project from the sleeve 34:. Thus, the turn ing of the sleeve 34: incident to the rocking of the shaft 33 by the engagement of the operating arms 35 wits. the supporting lugs of the sign frames causes the slide 40 to move up and down and swing the hoolr-lil e stop 37 across the path of the supporting lugs 27 at the lower end of the lower storage chute. Ihe gear and rack tooth engagement between the operating arm and the slide 40 is such that when the operating arm is in its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 4 the stop 37 is inits uppermost position, their As soon other extreme positions being shown in Fig. 5. Thus at the time the upwardly traveling supporting lugs 27 force the operating arms 35 to their extreme upper positions the swinging stops 37 are carried below the line of travel of the supporting lugs in the lower storage chute, allowing the supporting lugs of the end sign plate to slide down against the inclined shafts 22 and in position to be engaged by the spurs or hook-like teeth on the ends of the swinging stops 37 to be lifted thereby into operative engagement with the ends of the screw threads 25 of the elevating shafts to start such sign plate in its upward travel during which it repeats the operation of the rock shaft and the parts connected with it by the engagement of its supporting rugs with the arms 35.

As the sign late reaches the upper end of its ascending travel its supporting lugs 27 come into engagement with light spring wires 4-3 which press them forwardly so that as soon as they rise above the level of the upper edge of the upper storage chute 31 they are starteo down said chute. A. stationary stop lat at the front lower end of each upper storage chute 31 engages the end supporting lug so that the others are held behind it in the manner clearly seen in Fig. 4.

A'large gear segment 45 is also carried by the sleeve 3st close to the end plate of the casing and its teeth mesh with rack teeth 46 which are turned back from the front edge of a sheeametal slide 47 which travels vertically bet 'een parallel guides 48 secured to the end plate of the'casing, the slide being provided with grooved projections 49 to fit the edges of said guides. A shouldered shelf projects from the slide 47 into the plane of the supporting lugs '27 of the sign plates, and during the vertical slid ing movements of the slide incident to the engagement of the gear segment 45 therewith this shelf is carried from the lower end of the upper storage chute 31 to the upper end of the lower storage chute 29 to move the signs successively to their display position. Slidably mounted behind the raised portion of the guide plate 26 by having a slot fitting on a pin 51 projecting from said guide plate is a pointed rod 52 which normally lies beneath the bottom of the upper storage chute 31 but is capable of being lifted through a slot therein when its projecting hook lug 53 is engaged and lifted by the shelf 50 toward the latter part of its upward movement, and the effect of this operation is to wedge the pointed upper end of said rod 52 between the first and second supporting lugs on the chute 31. lifting the first supporting lug over the stationary stop and onto the shelf 50 while holding back the other supporting lugs until said rod de scends again, which it will do with the downward movement of -shelf50 as it is retween the front edge 32 ofthe guide plate 26 and a guide strip 56 and as these guide surfaces are slightly inclined forwardly the supporting lug is moved thereby toward the front edge of the shelf 50, but when the inclined hook-like projecting portion of the stop is reached said supporting lug is forced thereby entirely off of the shelf 50 and to the front thereof into a notch 57in the guide strip 56 where it rests on the 'upper end of the lower storage chute 29 and is held against backing down said storage chute by the stop 55, this being the display position in which the sign plate is held'until the next sign plate is ready to descend.

At the time the rod 52 is lifted by the shelf 50 to separate the supporting lugof the next sign plate from the others and transfer it to the shelf 50, the stop 55 being connected with said rod 52 is lifted, permitting the sign in the display position to back away therefrom by its supporting lug sliding down the lower storage chute 29, thus making way for the next sign plate which is 5 immediately dropped into place.

The guide strips 56 are preferably provided with openings near their upper ends to receive the supporting lugs27 of a 'sta-' tionary sign plate 58 which preferably 40 bears a permanent portion of the sign which will be read in conjunction with the successive changeable portions of the sign on the sign plates 28.

For convenience in assembling the sign plates for starting the sign in operation is desirable to provlde a stop for preventing the supporting lugs descending into the range of the lifting stop 37, and for this purpose wires 59 are mounted in the guide plate 26 withbuttons 60 on their ends working in angular slots of said guide platefasr shown in Fig. 3; lVhen these stops are set the arms 35 may be raised andlowered in any manner to feed the sign plates from the upper storage chute to the lower storage chute until there are the desired number in the latter location and then on the removal of said stops 59 the machine may be started in its automatic operation From the previous description the opera tion will be understood. The fall of the op:

erating arm 35 after being lifted by one as-- cending sign plate produces the lifting of V the stop 37. thereby raising the: next sign plate and bringing its supporting lugs into operative engagement with the synchronously operated screw *conveyers by which the sign plate is raised to th upper storage chute. 'ln itsupward travel; however, the engagement of its supporting lugs 27 with the :operatingarms 35 effects a cycle of operation of the sign plate feeding and removing mechanism to changethe appearance of the sign by substituting one sign plate foranother. The lifting of the arms 35 causes the slide 47 to beraised to receive the lowermost sign on the upper storage chute while the stop 37 is lowered to permit the lowermost sign on the lower storage chute to move into position to be lifted-to the screw conveyers, and the stop 55 israised to permit the displayedsignto slide back out of its display position to make way for the next sign. The downward movement of the arms 35 on being released by the supporting lugs of the ascending sign plate is quickly accomplished by the weight of the parts and effects the downward travel oftheslide 47 withthe new sign plate thereon which is thrown into the display position by the cam action of t'he'stop 55, and the sign plate at thelower end of the lower storage'chut 'at the same time is raised by the stops'37 to start it on its upward travel during which it will-effect a cycle of operation of the machine in a likemanner. I

Electric lights 61 are suitably positioned around'the front of the sign to illuminate it at night, and automatic switch mechanismis preferably provided operated by the sign mechanism for flashing the lights in time with the changes made in the sign. The lower lights are desirably arrangedto light only while the sign plates 25 remain stationary in their display position while the upper lights alternate therewith. Arms 62 are mounted onthe rock shaft 33 andhave suspended from their ends a U-shaped double pawl '63, the two hooked'ends of which embrace a ratchet disk 64 between them and engage the ratchet teeth thereof so that in the upward movement of the crank arms 62. onefhook end turns the ratchet'disk 64 until the other hook end e11- gages a ratchet tooth,whereupon the downward movement of sald arms causes said other hook end to turn the ratchet disk contact segments 65. A switch for controlling the automatic operation of the lamps is provided consisting of an insulated push rod 67 projecting through the bottom of the casing and carrying a knob 68to contact with spring contacts 69 on the insulating base.

The automatic sign of this invention is so constructed that it is not liable to become clogged, and consequently is capable of continuing its operation without requiringattention. It is Strong and durably constructed, though inexpensive to manufacture because of the many sheet metal parts capable of being cut and formed by press work.

The sign is attractive and efficient, the parts being so arranged that practically no time is lost in substituting one sign frame for another.

The most important distinguishing characteristic of this invention, however, is its large capacity enabling it to successfully operate with numerous sign plates and make many changes in the reading of the-sign while occupyinga very small space,

An important feature of this invention is the provision for automatically retarding the downward movement of the sign transferring means to avoid a sudden drop there of which would be liable to injure the mechanism or the sign plates themselves. Though the weight of the sign plate and its carrying mechanism is relied on for lowering them to the display position for the sign plate such movement is under positive control and at no time do the parts actually fall so as to jar them but the movement is continuous and the speed with which the change of one sign for another is accomplished is directly dependent upon the speed of the elevating screw shafts. 'When the supporting lugs of the ascending sign pass beyond the point of the cam on the operating arms 85 as they are about to do in the position shown in Fig. 5 the sign conveying parts do not drop at once for the operating arms have their ends curved about a center distant from the axis of the rock shaft 33 so as to constitute cams that continue in contact with the ascending supporting lugs 27 through the first part of the arc of movement of said operating arms or until the stops 37 have been raised a sufficient distance to lift the supporting lugs of the next sign plate into engagement with the screw threads of the elevating shafts. Thus the downward movement of the sign transferring mechanism is first retarded by the cam action of the rounded ends. of the operating arms bearing underneath the supporting lugs of one ascending sign plate and thereaftersuch movement is restrained and controlled by the stops 3'? being per-v mitted torise only as fast as the support ng lugs of the next sign plate ascend the elevating shafts. The operating arms 35 and the stops 37 are geared together by the slides so that the retarding influence on either has the same effect upon control of the speed of downward movement of the sign transferring means and they are so arranged that the one influence immediately follows the other and the control is therefore without interruption.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic sign for successively dis playing sign plates having supporting lugs at their ends, comprising upper and lower inclined storage chutes engaged by the supporting lugs of the sign plates, means for elevating the sign plates from the lower storage chute to the upper storage chute, vertically reciprocating slides having shoulders to receive the supporting lugs of the end sign plate on the upper storage chute, and means for moving the supporting lugs offof said shoulders of the slides at the upper end of the lower storage chute.

2. An automatic sign for successively displaying sign plates having supporting lugs at their ends, comprising upper and lower inclined storage chutes engaged by the supporting lugs of the sign plates, means for elevating the sign plates from the lower storage chute to the upper storage chute, vertically reciprocating slides having shoul ders to receive the supporting lugs of the end sign plate on the upper storage chute, and a swinging cam stop for moving the supporting lugs off of said shoul lers at the upper end of the lower storage chute.

3. An automatic sign, comprising an upper inclined chute and a lower inclined chute, sign plates having supporting lugs resting on the inclined chutes, means for raising the signs from the lower chute to theupper chute, means for lowering the signs from the upper chute to the lower chute, a cam stop for engaging the, support. ing lugs and moving them'ofl of the lowering means to a display position at the upper end of the lower chute, and means for removing the stop to permit the sign plate to move from the display position.

4. An automatic sign, comprising upper. and lower inclined chutes, sign plates having supporting lugs resting on the inclined chutes, stops at the lower ends of the upper chutes, means for lifting the sign plates from the lower chute to the upper chute, reciprocating means for lowering the sign plates from the upper chute to the lower chute and having'shelves for the supporting lugs to rest upon, and pointed members positioned beneath the upper chute and adapted to be engaged by the ascending sign lowering'meaus near the end of its upward movement and raised between the supporting lugs of the first and second sign plates to force the lugs of the first signplate over the stops and onto the shelves.v

5. An automatic sign, comprising upper and lower inclined chutes, sign plates having supporting lugs resting on the inclined chutes, stops, at the lower ends of the upper chute, means for elevating the sign plates from the lower chute to the upper chute, means for lowering the sign plates from the upper chute to the lower chute and having shelves for the supporting lugs to rest upon, pointed members positioned beneath the upper chute and adapted to be engaged by the ascending sign lowering means and raised between the supporting lugs of the first and second sign plates to force the lugs of the first sign plate over the stops and onto the shelves, and a swinging cam stop connected to said pointed members and adapted to be engaged by the supporting lugs of the descending sign plates to force them 01? of the shelves into a display position at the upper end of the lower chute.

6. An automatic sign, comprising an upper and a lower inclined chute, sign plates; having supporting lugs resting thereon,

means for elevating thesign plates from. the lower chute to the upper chute, operating arms in the path of the supporting lugs of the sign plates in their travel from the lower chute to the upper chute, gearsegments moved by said operating arms, slides vertically movable and having rack teeth meshing with the teeth of the gear segments,

and projecting shelf members carried-by the slides and adapted to receive the supporting lugsfrom' the upper chute and carry them to the lower chute.

7. An automatic sign, comprising upper and lower inclined chutes, sign plates having supporting lugs resting thereon,.means for elevating the sign plates from the lower chute to the upper chute, operating arms in the path of the supporting lugs of-the signplates in their-travel from the lower chute to the upper chute, gear segments moved by said operating arms, slides vertically movable and having rack teeth 'mesh- 7 ing withthe teeth of the gear segments, projecting shelf members carried by the slides, stops at the end of the upper chute for en'- gaging the supporting lugs, spring retracted v pointed members positioned beneath the'upper chute and adapted to be engagedby the shelf members of the slides and elevated between the supporting members of the first and second sign plates to force the supporting lugs of the first sign plate over the stops and onto the'shelfmembers of the slides, and pivotally mounted cam-shaped stop members in positionto force the supporting lugs off of the shelf members of the slides and into a display position at the upper end of the lower chute, said cam-shaped stop members being connected with the pointed members to be raisedthereby torelease the supporting lugs from the display position.

8..An automatic sign, comprising a cas ing, guide plates at the ends thereof bent to form a raised portion producting a shouldered inclined upper guide and a grooved inclined lower guide with a shoulderedguide extending from the lower guide to the-upper guide, sign plates having supporting lugs to travel on said guides, elevating meansfor engaging and lifting the supporting lugs along the last mentioned guide from the lower guide to the upper guide, stops at *the'lower end of the upper guide for engaging and detaining thesupporting lugs,

guide strips. for the supporting lugs spaced from thefront edge of the guide plate to .form a passageway between them for the travel of the supporting lugs, vertically traveling slides having shelves to hold the-sup porting .lugsfor lowering them from the upper guideto the lower guide through said mounted on the guide plate and extending across the passageway-to move the support- *ing lugs off of the shelves into a recess in the supporting strips forming a display position atthe upper end of the lower guide,

vand means for moving the stops out of the lower guideto permit the supporting lugs to recede from the display position;

9.- An automatically changeable sign, comprising an upper and a lower'chute, sign plates having supporting lugs to travel on passageway, movable cam stops pivotally said chutes, means for-lowering the support- 7 ing lugs from the upper chute to the lower chute, screw shafts for elevating the ,sup porting'lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, operating arms extending across the ascending path of travel of the 'supporting lugs to be swung-thereby, gear teeth'carried by the; operating arms, suitably mounted slides having-rack teeth meshlng with the I gear teeth, and stops moved "by the slidesacross the path of t'ravel'of the supporting lugs on-fthe lower chute and adapted to engage and lift the end support upper chute, a rocking shaft, operating arms fixed thereon andextending across the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs to be swung thereby, gear teeth carried by the operating arms, suitably mounted slides having slots fitting overtherock'shaft andhaving rack teeth meshingwiththe gear teeth, pivotally mounted stops having pin and slot connections with the slides and movable thereby across the path of travel of the supporting lugs on the lower chute, said stops having hook projections on their upper edges to engage and lift the end supporting lugs into engagement with the screw threads of the screw shafts, and means operated by the rock shaft for lowering the supporting lugs from the 1 upper chute to the lower chute.

11. an automatic sign, comprising an up per chute and a lower chute, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel ther on, means for lowering the supporting lugs from the upper chute to the lower chute, screw shafts for raising the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute by having said supporting lugs engage between the convolutions thereof, and springs in the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs for moving them from the screw conieyers to the upper chute. V

12. An automatic sign, comprising an upper storage chute and a lower storage chute, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel thereon, each of said storage chutes being of sufficient length to hold the supporting lugs of anumber of sign plates, a stop at the lower end of the upper chute, a movable stop at the lower end of the lower chute, screw conveyers for lifting the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, operating arms in the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs, a slide opera-ted by the operating arms for swinging the movable stops to cause them to lift the end supporting lugs into engagement with the screw conveyers, air other slide operated by the operating arms having shelves to hold the supporting lugs and lower them from the upper chute to the lower chute, pointed members engaged by the shelves for forcing the end supporting lugs off of the stop of the upper chute and onto the shelves, and cam stops for forcing the supporting lugs off of the shelves to a display position at the upper ends of the lower chutes, said cam stops being connected with the pointed members and moved from the lower chute by the movement thereof.

13. An automatic sign, comprising an upper storage chute and a lower storage chute, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel thereon, each of said storage chutes being of suliicient length to hold the supporting lugs of a number of sign plates, a stop at the lower end of the upper chute, a movable stop at the lower end of the lower chute, screw conveyers for lifting the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, operating arms in the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs and operating the movable stop, slides for lOWQ-llllg' the supporting lugs from the upper chute to the lower chute. and operated by the operating arms, and means for moving the supporting lugs 0H of the slides to a display position at the upper end of the lower chute.

14-, An automatic sign, comprising upper and lower inclined storage chutes, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel thereon, means for elevating the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, a rock shaft, operating arms on the rock shaft extending across the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs, means operated by the rock shaft for lowering the supportinglugs from the upper chute to the lower chute, electric lights for illumiimting the sign, and switch mechanism operated by the rock shaft for controlling said electric lights.

15. An automatic sign, comprising an upper and a lower chute, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel thereon, means for lowering the supporting lugs from the upper chute to the lower chute, screw shafts for raising the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, and means engaging the ascending support-- ing lugs on the screw shafts for restraining the downward movement of the means by such engagement,

16, An automatic sign, comprising an upper chute and a lower chute, sign plates having supporting lugs adapted to travel thereon, slides for carrying the supporting lugs from the upper chute to the lower chute, screw shafts for raising the supporting lugs from the lower chute to the upper chute, pivotally mounted operating arms extending across the ascending path of travel of the supporting lugs to be swung upwardly thereby, gear segments carried by the operating arms, racks on the. slides meshing with the gear segments whereby the movements of the operating arms are imparted to the slides, said operating arms having cam surfaces at their ends to restrain the downward movement thereof by their engagement beneath the supporting; lugs, and stops bloclc ing the supporting lugs in the lower chu e lowering and having connection with the operating arms to be moved thereby for lifting the supporting lugs from the lower chute into engagement with the screw threads 1 ofthe screw shafts and continuing the restraint upon the downward movement of the slides by following the upwardtravel of the supporting lugs on the screw shafts, Q

In testimony whereof, I my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

LYLE BEEMAN. Witnesses I R. S. C. CALDWELL, HELEN D. CHASE. 

